the small boat in the middle is a tour boat, yes, we are part of the tour..."and these are the poor people who recently got hit by lightening causing 10K in damage. And these poor folks have a wooden boat..."

When I hauled Scott up the mast, to the very top, he finds the VHF antenna bracket also gone.

The rigging looks good, there is still power going up the wires and the antenna cable and the connector is still attached so we can 'easily' attach a new antenna.

I'm not sure what happened the rest of the day as it is all a blur or I am blacking out the reality of this lightening strike (ie bad moods).

We have cruiser friends back in the states getting ready to return so they may have some room to haul some stuff down for us. Thanks for the offer.

the advantage to getting up early in the morning is getting to see the island school kids starting their journey to school

Good News-

by 9:00 Cheryl has discovered the VHF radio does work (gets power only) after noticing the negative wire broken off (though there's still the antenna to put back on if we can)

by noon the alternator is not pulsing any longer due to Scott taking off the external regulator (now we just have to keep an eye on the batter charge while motoring - but it's a SAIL boat, isn't it). We'll work on getting another regulator later.

We plan on leaving on Saturday - wish us luck!

Bad News-

by 8:15 a.m. Cheryl is concerned the SSB isn't working since she is unable to hear anyone but Mike who is a hundred yards away, talking on the net. It maybe the tuner. Maybe the Sailmail people didn't get my email that we were ready to use our account again - Divine Intervention.

I awoke at 4:30 a.m. ready to fight the good fight (I had to pee). The stern light works with a new bulb, there is power coming from the solar panels (I had to wait until the sun came up enough to give me something to read) and once Scott got up I could get the new 400 amp fuse. Dug out all the manuals and 'Nigel's' Book - our 'bible' but it didn't really help. Changed out the Solar Charge Controller and all the little lights went on, ie the panels are charging the batteries! Changed the 400 amp fuse but it didn't help. Starting calling people on the handheld for advice about the alternator. People started calling and now everyone knows with deep sympathies. Tried to make phone calls via Skype to double check about the alternator but the Internet has been down and it turned out we couldn't call with our lame computer. Scott got up his nerve (asked first) and downloaded Skype on to the owner of the establishment we were doing internet at('s) computer to call the engine guy - Stanley's GREAT!- very helpful. We will stay at least today. We can live without the VHF since we have the handheld, even the inverter (which we think needs to get sent back to the states for repair) but the alternator is 'muy importante!'
Everyone has been sympathetic- that's been helpful. And we have gotten offers for antennas and even an old VHF - should be just like the one we have!

No this isn't a batman cartoon, though if it were we would just 'happen' to have our 'Super Sonic Automatic Electrical Fixer 'Er Upper'. Read on. Remember when I said I didn't know whether to feel lucky or scared about boats on either side of us getting hit by lightening, well, last nights storm was 'scary, VERY'. Especially after a super loud bang right above us (as in on the mast above us)- after I sat down and realized all the lights and fans were on I calmed down a bit but then I notice not only was the VHF radio suddenly off so were a bunch of the lights of the Link 2000 Monitor (for our inverter). Yes, it's our turn for a lightening strike. We even managed to change some fuses after dinner but the VHF still isn't working, nor any of the lights on the mast, nor the stern light. The Link 2000 Monitor is dark (not working) as well as our Solar Charge Controller. Thank God the fans, lights, the new SSB, radar and I think the bilge pump still work. We braved starting the engine to decide if we were still leaving tomorrow and it did (!) but the Alternator is pulsing. We opted to wait to change the 400 amp fuse to the inverter when it wasn't raining and all the other lightening flashes were gone, ie in the morning. So we had a set with Don Julio, that nice Mexican man who lives in a pretty bottle under our sink and his good friend Mr. Limes. We still have 20 days left on our visas and Murray knows about alternators - we'll be calling him in the morning before or after me and the multi meter do some electrical triage. Return the Zarpe, tell everyone our woes, change that fuse. And we thought we had all the things done to leave. Wha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!

Good news: Mike on sv Windy City gave us a lesson on sending email and getting weather through our SSB (marine radio) and now he may have his wish to spend another day with us to show us more. Talking to someone is SO much easier than learning through a book and owners manual for me.
Other Good News: we have new lights; mast, steaming & spreader- though we had just replaced the stern light. We do have a spare Solar Charge Controller via Divine Intervention (long crazy shipping story) it seems. And I wanted a new VHF radio anyhow (in the mean time we have the Handheld). To go to an extreme; dropping the mast is next on our list though we were hoping to do it is Annapolis. I can barely think about pulling the boat out of the water right this very second.

Yesterday Mon, Lilliana and I went for an early morning walk on the beach to get some exercise. It is my new reason for getting out of bed before 10 a.m. especially since after 10 a.m. it's too hot to do much of anything including going for a walk.

As we approached the beach from the tiled hotel pool area, we noticed a group of cows just finishing up their own early morning walk on the beach. I had never seen a group of cows taking a walk on a beach before. In the midst of the groups of cows was a stray beach dog barking. I though he was herding the cows until, upon closer inspection, I noticed he was barking at something small & dark in the sand in front of him. As we got even closer I realized the 'something small & dark' was turtle! Apparently he had just come out of the ocean and was headed for the safety of the grass just beyond the beach. What a treat! We shooed the dog away and Lillianna tried to direct the turtle back into the water but it made a bee-line for the grass after I persuaded her to let it go where it wanted too. I was actually glad I got up so early in the morning after seeing that cute little sea turtle.